Friday, 9 April 2010

Adapted Bow and Seated sequence.

I'm so taken with the seated sequence at the moment that I wanted to try adding it to all the other sequences this week. This morning I thought it would work as a nice counterpose sequence to Bow/Backbends.

This is how it turned out, bit more than I intended but I was having such a good time and things seemed to flow into each other and make sense that I got a bit carried away. There tend to be jump backs and though only between the subroutines. It took a little over 90 minutes. Some sections like seated and Asymmetric were slow with extra, long steady breathes, other sections were more ashtanga like, quite enjoyed altering the pace.

Loved this so much that I wanted to print it out and do it again.....and again. Seeing as I'm typing it out anyway I might as well put it here and post it.

I'm thinking the bow/seated combination might make a nice framework for a daily practice. One day add more Lotus poses another day less Lotus and more Asymmetric or a stronger Inverted posture focus. That way I wont end up trying to add everything all in one go. I want to be ending up with a shorter practice, an hour maximum, and thus more time for Pranayama and meditation rather than allowing it to creep up to two hours of asana.

Hi Roy. I hardly ever see her, she works long hours in the City and gets home late so plenty of time to myself. This blog is the pretty much the only time she gets to see me, gave me a hard time when i started posting less photo's and videos. Plus I live walking/cycling distance from work and have good hours 9:30-5:30. No kids either, I have it easy, I don't know how some people manage to keep their practice up, not sure I could have done it a few years ago when i had a grown up job and a long commute

Grimmly, how interesting your "additions", the part that grabbed my attention here was that you are doing all the backbends BEFORE the sitting sequence. Does it feel less open? to go straight into backbending so early on?

Hi Claudia. guess i started with wanting to spend another week with the seated sequence. It seemed to make sense to do it after the backbends as a counter sequence. in intermediate you pretty much start off with the backbends leading up to Kapo so pretty much the same here. Come to think of it, it's quite close to intermediate what with the LBH and even Karandavasana in there. Just got back from work and am about to practice it again now, wanted to see what it was like as an evening practice.

I found it while conducting a random search for Pasasana tips on Youtube (I don't have a local teacher, and rely solely on an annual trip to Mysore and friends, books and movies). Your 'sweaty pasasana' movie really helped me, as I wasn't turning the 'down-under' hand over on the thumb, as you clearly do on the movie, so I've got to say THANKS for that movie. I still don't have the posture yet, but it's a bit of a leap towards getting it (he says hopefully).

Hi Steve. really glad the pasasana post helped nice to hear some of those old posts are coming in handy. Was reading through your blog too this morning. Isn't it unbearably hot in Mysore at the moment, it seems everyone else blogging from there has left. Running into Mr Swenson though, how cool is that. look forward to following your trip.

Hi again. thanks for finding my blog too. I think the one you found was from 2009. This year's can be found here:http://mysore2010.wordpress.com/

My somewhat feeble attempts at blogging, have the tendency of conking out, which is what happened with both of these. I would love to run one from home too, but I get a bit too laid back at home. I am thinking about it though so, I'll be reading yours more regularly, and when the jury decides, I'll see if I can muster up the creativity. My background is not dissimilar to yours. My wife works long hours, and lucky old me gets heaps of time to practice and enjoy the quieter mind that results from it.

A Reminder

from Kalama sutra, translation from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi This blog included.

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them. Buddha - Kalama Sutta